AN UNEXPLODED World War Two grenade discovered in a cellar sparked a massive bomb disposal operation.

The live explosive device was found in the cellar of what is believed to be an unoccupied house, on Leymoor Road, Golcar, at around 1.30pm yesterday.

It is believed the grenade was found during a routine inspection of the property.

A 100-metre stretch of Leymoor Road was closed off by police while officers waited for the Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal team – known as the Bomb Squad – to come from Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire 80 miles away.

Buses were diverted from Leymoor Road and traffic and pedestrians turned away.

The army bomb disposal specialists removed the explosive from the house before placing the grenade in a hole that had been dug in playing fields next to St John’s Junior and Infant School.

The grenade was then covered in plastic explosive and buried under sandbags before it was destroyed in a controlled explosion at around 5.30pm.

Organisers of Golcar Gala, who had been waiting to set up their event, were later allowed on to the playing fields.

A sergeant from the specialist team, who asked not to be named, said: “You find quite a lot of these things, especially on the eastern side of the country.

“The danger was that people could be injured by the shrapnel and blast.

“It’s a fairly routine operation. We do this task over and over again.”

One neighbour Gail, 53, said: “I’m just a bit surprised. It’s very odd. It’s not something you’d normally expect to find.”

Another neighbour, Terry, 48, said: “I suppose it does happen. You don’t know what’s in people’s houses. It’s certainly not something you see every day.”

Another said: “I’m not that shocked or surprised. I used to have one as anornament.”

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “We were called at about 1.30pm with reports that someone had found some ammunition in the cellar of a property.

“We called the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team from the Army.

“We put a cordon at 100 metres on either side of the property and across the road.

“The device was destroyed safely in a controlled explosion at approximately 5.30pm.”

GOLCAR Gala committee turned up to organise today’s big event ... only to find things had already started with a bang!